Friday, January 07, 2000
Dems may send novice against Chabot
Portune leaning toward commissioner race
BY HOWARD WILKINSON
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Unless Democrats on Capitol Hill talk Cincinnati Councilman Todd Portune into running by today, U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot's opponent this year will be an unknown 25-year-old lawyer from Price Hill.
John Cranley, a recent graduate of Harvard Law School, is ready to make his first run for public office as the Democrat who takes on Mr. Chabot in the 1st Congressional District, a seat the Democrats once had high hopes of winning in their effort to retake control of Congress.
“It will be a grass-roots campaign,” said Mr. Cranley, who grew up in Price Hill and is now a divinity school student at Harvard. “We won't have the money that Steve Chabot has, but I'll do everything I can to win.”
Late Thursday, officials of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) in Washington were still trying to recruit a better-known candidate in Mr. Portune, who ran second in the fall council election.
House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt was to make a personal appeal Thursday to Mr. Portune, who apparently is leaning toward taking on Republican Hamilton County Commissioner Bob Bedinghaus instead of running for Congress.
Hamilton County Democratic Party co-chairman Tim Burke said he told the DCCC Thursday the county party would rather have Mr. Portune run for county commissioner and let Mr. Cranley take on Mr. Chabot.
“I told (the DCCC) my impression was Todd wasn't going to do the congressional race,” Mr. Burke said. “And I said that, frankly, we hoped he would run for commissioner, because I think he could win that race.”
Mr. Portune could not be reached Thursday. The filing deadline for candidates is 4 p.m.
today.
If Mr. Portune runs for county commissioner, he is likely to face a challenge in the March 7 Democratic primary. Marilyn Hyland of Indian Hill, who ran against GOP commissioner Tom Neyer Jr. in 1998, has already filed for the Bedinghaus seat.
Two years ago, the 1st Congressional District seat was one of the most hotly contested and high-profile House races in the country. The Democratic candidate was then-Cincinnati mayor Roxanne Qualls, who had plenty of money and name recognition.
But Ms. Qualls ended up with 47 percent of the vote and suddenly the prospect of challenging Mr. Chabot in 2000 began to look less appealing to a number of well-known local Democrats who considered the race.
“The Democrats took their best shot at that seat two years ago,” said Stuart Rothenberg, editor of a Washington newsletter that tracks congressional campaigns.
“They didn't leave anything on the table with Qualls. They don't have much left.”
The 1st District, Mr. Rothenberg said, “must be frustrating for the Democrats. It is a district where they should have a shot at winning. Chabot is no ball of fire. Some Democrat should be able to win there, but they don't.”
A year ago, some in Washington thought Mr. Chabot might be vulnerable because he was one of 14 House managers in the impeachment of President Clinton.
But the impeachment trial and failure of the Republicans to remove Mr. Clinton from office, Mr. Rothenberg said, “seems to have no leftover effects whatsoever.”
Mr. Rothenberg said that often when potential candidates who are well-known and well-funded shy away from taking on entrenched incumbents in congressional races, the party has no choice but to turn to less-experienced candidates who are trying to make a name for themselves, like Mr. Cranley.
But Mr. Burke said he is not complaining.
“John Cranley is a bright, energetic and very appealing young man,” he said.
“I am glad to have him as some new blood in the party.”
Mr. Cranley's challenge of Mr. Chabot, Mr. Burke said, reminds him of 1970, when a young, energetic Democrat named Jerry Springer took on 2nd District Congressman Donald Clancy.
Mr. Clancy won with 59 percent of the vote.
Cincinnati's other GOP congressman, Rob Portman, will have the same opponent in the 2nd Congressional District he had two years ago when he was re-elected with 71 percent of the vote — Charles Sanders, the Democratic mayor of Waynesville.
In the 8th Congressional District, U.S. Rep. John Boehner, R-West Chester, is running for re-election.
Two Democrats are likely to face off in the March 7 primary to take on the uphill battle of facing Mr. Boehner in the fall: John W. Griffin of Miamisburg, who ran against Mr. Boehner in 1998; and Miami University English professor John G. Parks.
In the 6th Congressional District, incumbent Democrat Ted Strickland is running again.
Republican Mike Azinger of Marietta, who ran in the GOP congressional primary in 1998 and lost, is running again. So too may State Rep. George Terwilleger.
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